Montgomery Bell Academy

Montgomery Bell Academy is a preparatory school in Nashville, Tennessee. It is a day school for boys in grades 7-12. The present (as of 2005) U.S. Senate Majority Leader, Bill Frist, is an alumnus. Other alumni include Tennessee Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank F. Drowota III, Grove/Atlantic Inc. president Morgan Entrekin, founder of HCA Thomas F. Frist, Jr, noted novelists Madison Jones and Madison Smartt Bell, Band of Brothers actor Richard Speight, Jr., and Admiral Joseph W. Prueher, a former Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Pacific Command and Ambassador to China. Earlier in the school's history, its graduates included journalist J. Frederick Essary (1881-1942), diplomat Ralph James Totten (1877-1949), and U.S. Secretary of War Jacob McGavock Dickinson (1851-1928). Lt. Gen. Frank Maxwell Andrews, the aviation pioneer and World War II European commander for whom Andrews Air Force Base is named, graduated from the school in 1901. A large number of other Nashville business and professional leaders are also alumni.

Related Topics:
Nashville, Tennessee - As of 2005 - Bill Frist - Alumnus - Tennessee - Supreme Court - Madison Smartt Bell - Band of Brothers - China - J. Frederick Essary - Frank Maxwell Andrews - Andrews Air Force Base

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MBA

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

© Montgomery Bell Academy

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ideal: Gentleman, Scholar, Athlete

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Motto: Fortitudo per Scientiam

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nickname

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Big Red

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Headmaster

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bradford Gioia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

School type

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Private

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Religious affiliation

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

NONE

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Founded

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1867

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Location

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nashville, Tennessee United States

Related Topics:
Nashville - Tennessee - United States

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Campus surroundings

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

URBAN

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

School Colors

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Cardinal and Silver

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mascot

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bulldog

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Alma Mater

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hail MBA of thee we sing

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Now and forever more.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Long may the bells of glory ring,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As in the days of yore.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hail to thee! Hail to thee!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Where loyal hearts and friendship dwell.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On and On! Faithfully,

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Hail Montgomery Bell!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"MBA", as it is often called, was established in the 1860s in the aftermath of the American Civil War. It is the successor to at least two well-known predecessors, the Western Military Institute, which was attended by Sam Davis, the "Boy Hero of the Confederacy", and the preparatory school for the former University of Nashville. (Indeed, the school's board still operates under the corporate title, "Board of Trustees of the University of Nashville", although that institution was otherwise disbanded in the early 20th century.) It was later moved to an estate which was at the time well west of downtown Nashville which was previously known as "Totomoi". The military nature of one of the predecessors notwithstanding, under its current name it has always operated as a civilian institution, and as a day, rather than a boarding, school. The school is named in honor of Montgomery Bell, a Pennsylvania native who made his fortune as the early 19th century "ironmaster" of Middle Tennessee and whose will endowed it, with the stipulation that it forever be an all-male institution. That this practice has survived into the 21st century has proved to be quite startling to some, but in recent decades there has been little local sentiment in favor of a change since a number of excellent girls-only and coeducational academic options have developed in Nashville. Probably more of its graduates go on to attend Vanderbilt (down to 7% in recent years) than any other university, but no single institution of higher learning attracts a very large proportion of the graduates.

Related Topics:
1860s - American Civil War - Sam Davis - 20th century - Montgomery Bell - Pennsylvania - 19th century - Middle Tennessee - 21st century - Vanderbilt - University

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The 1989 motion picture Dead Poets Society starring Robin Williams, depicts a school patterned on Montgomery Bell Academy. The Alumni Department of Montgomery Bell Academy, according to a website http://www.deliriumsrealm.com/delirium/movies/dps.asp about the film, has stated:

Related Topics:
1989 - Motion picture - Dead Poets Society - Robin Williams

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:The movie Dead Poets Society was written by Thomas Schulman, a 1968 graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy. The teacher portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie was based on one of Mr. Schulman's teachers while he was at MBA, Mr. Sam Pickering. The events in the movie, however, are purely fictional.

Related Topics:
Dead Poets Society - Sam Pickering

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

MBA also has extensive exchange links with boys' schools throughout the English-speaking world; arrangements are in place with Eton College and Winchester College in England, Michaelhouse and Kearsney Colleges in South Africa, and The Southport School and The King's School in Australia.

Related Topics:
Eton College - Winchester College - Kearsney College - The Southport School - Australia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Racial desegregation was very late in coming to MBA, as it was to many simliar Southern prep schools; the school was all white as late as the 1970s.

Related Topics:
Desegregation - Southern - White - 1970s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The school is noted for a large number of National Merit and other scholarship winners; whether this is a product of the quality of the school or the relative privilege into which most of its students are born and raised is debated. Like many old-line prep schools, MBA is still governed by a traditional honor code in which students vow not to lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do so.

Related Topics:
National Merit - Prep school

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~